The Skaros Rock - Iconic remnant of ancient Thira civilisation

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Capture the breathtaking beauty of Santorini's iconic cliffs and deep blue sea with this high-resolution digital photograph. Perfect for digital art, backgrounds, or creative projects, this image brings the serenity and grandeur of the Aegean to your screen.

Skaros Rock is the most prominent surviving outcrop of the volcanic peninsula of Imerovigli and once formed the fortified heart of medieval Santorini. The original castle (Kasteli of Skaros) was built in the late 12th century by the Venetian nobleman Marco Sanudo, becoming the island’s administrative and military center under both Venetian and later Ottoman rule. At its peak, Skaros was a densely built settlement with narrow alleys, churches, and multi‑storey houses clinging to the cliff, protected by thick walls and its naturally steep sides. A series of powerful eruptions and earthquakes from the 17th to 19th centuries gradually damaged the fortifications and homes, leading residents to abandon Skaros and relocate higher up in Imerovigli and Fira. Today, only fragments of walls and foundations remain, but walking the path to the rock gives a tangible sense of Santorini’s layered past—from ancient Thira’s strategic importance to the island’s Venetian, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods.